Liz Truss has on Monday emerged as the UK’s next prime minister, after winning an internal leadership contest of the ruling Conservative party. As Nigeria moves to elect a new leader, what lessons can be learnt from the UK political culture and campaign process.
BASIC FACTS
- Liz Truss has been elected as the leader of UK’s Conservative party.
- The Conservative party has the majority in the House of Commons.
- Liz Truss will take over as the UK Prime Minister Tuesday.
- Liz Truss will be the third female Prime Minister in the UK.
WHAT WE KNOW
After a rigorous campaign spanning two months, Liz Truss has been elected the leader of the Conservative Party in the UK. Truss emerged winner after beating the former Chancellor of exchequer Rishi Sunak in a keenly contested internal contest.
The foreign secretary beat her rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, by 81,326 votes to 60,399, after a summer-long internal contest sparked by Boris Johnson’s resignation in July.
The 47 years old foreign Secretary has been favourite over Rishi Sunak after the contest was narrowed just to the two conservative MPs.
The husting preceding the election started in July after incumbent Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation following series of scandal that has dogged his government.
Truss campaign was based on promise to reduce tax and prioritise economic growth.
Sunak on the other hand, based his campaign on providing help to help people pay their energy bills.
Boris Johnson is expected to give his farewell speech at 10, Downing Street on Tuesday. The speech is to be followed by a formal presentation of his resignation letter to the Queen. The 96 old Queen Elizabeth is expected to appoint Johnson’s successor as Prime Minister after receiving his letter of resignation.
For the first time in her reign, 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth 11, will appoint the Prime Minister at her Scottish retreat, Balmoral, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
This is due to her health and age. Liz Truss will be the 15th Prime Minister since the reigning Monarch came to the throne.
NOTABLE QUOTES
Liz Truss speaking to the Daily Mail said, “As prime minister I will do everything in my power to make sure everyone, no matter where they are from, has the opportunity to go as far as their talent and hard work takes them”.
“If I’m elected prime minister, I will act immediately on bills and on energy supply,”
“within a month I will present a full plan for how we are going to reduce taxes” and “get the British economy going”.
Rishi Sunak had on Sunday told the BBC that, “We shouldn’t rule anything out. I mean, we’re facing a genuine emergency. I think anyone pretending that that isn’t the situation isn’t being straight with the country,”
COMMENTARY
Recall that Boris Johnson announced his resignation as leader of the Tories last July.
Johnson’s premiership has been marred by moral questions, especially his handling of the COVID 19 lockdown. While the whole country was in lockdown, Boris Johnson was having a Christmas party at 10, Downing street, an action many British people saw as a betrayal of trust.
However, Johnson apologised to the nation, but the impact was to stick with him until last July.
Liz Truss will become the UK’s third female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, the iron lady who held sway between 1979 to 1990 when she resigned as John Major succeed her.
After Thatcher, Theresa May became the 2nd female Prime Minister succeeding David Cameron who quit after BREXT. Theresa May left office in 2019, after failing to convince members of the House of Commons to support her BREXIT plan. Her resignation saw the emergence of Boris Johnson who led the BREXIT campaign.
Liz Truss who began her political journey as a school member of the centrist Liberal Democrats before switching to the right-wing Conservatives. Truss became foreign minister in 2021 after holding a many ministerial posts in departments including education, international trade and justice.
In 2016, Truss was on the side of David Cameron, as she campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union. However, after BREXIT was delivered, Truss switched allegiance to the BREXITERS.
TAKEAWAY
If there is anything Nigerian voters and politicians should learn from the UK as we approach the February 2023 elections in Nigeria, it is the manner in which they carried out their campaign.
From July until the announcement of the winner earlier today, the campaign was based on issues that affect the ordinary people. Economics, tax cut, energy, Russia/Ukraine etc dominated the hustings.
There was no dancing in the campaign ground. There was hardly a name calling. Any talk of the opponent was relation to his position on issues of national interest. Any perceived attack on the opponent was based on morality not just to malign character.
This brings Clariform Newsdesk to the question – when or will our own political campaigns have this refined cultured? As the campaigns begin on the 28th of September, as we march to February what have our politicians learnt? What are the issues begging for attention in Nigeria?
Least we forget, there are questions of security, infrastructures and energy, true federalism, independence of the judiciary, criminal justice system, economy, health care, university autonomy and education generally, etc
